Alex Wood is slowly building his reputation as an elite pitcher. The youngster has been hot for the Atlanta Braves lately even if the team's bats are returning the effort. The Braves are trying to keep pace in the race for the National League wild card and putting Wood on the mound will certainly help. The New York Mets are looking to slow Wood down as the two NL East rivals face off in Citi Field.
Wood has been looking good lately. He is 9-9 with a 3.05 ERA on the season but has a 2.83 ERA in his last 18 starts. In his last five starts he has been even better, giving up just two runs or less while going 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA. In his last start, he did not allow a run through seven innings. The bullpen failed him as the Braves fell to the Pirates 3-2. In his last start against the Mets, New York roughed him up for three runs in six innings, but he will try and bounce back as Atlanta needs a win following a weekend stint where they split a series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Braves are not fans of Citi Field. They are 3-4 on the season. Dillon Gee will take the mound after beating Atlanta on July 0, giving up just one run in seven innings. However, he has not won since the All-Star break, going 0-5 with a 5.71 ERA in seven starts. In his last start, the pitcher gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings to the Oakland Athletics.
Pitching against the Braves is a good opportunity for Gee to bounce back. He is 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA in his last four starts against Atlanta. The Mets are doing well at giving run support. They recently got an 11-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers as Lucas Duda hit a three-run home run plus another solo shot.
Atlanta is currently fighting with several teams for the National League wild card as the race is the tightest in baseball. Prior to losing two straight to the Reds, Atlanta had won seven of their previous eight games.
